Capture my heart. Legend of the Four Kingdoms Book 2 ✔️

Chapter. 20. Time flies when you're having fun.

After King Dominic confirmed their positions in the Royal household they soon settled into a comfortable routine. Kai felt elated when the King stated that he would take her request to stay in Cho and join the Royal Guards into serious consideration. He would make his final decision after talking to her parents. With a mere four weeks until her seventeenth birthday all seemed to fall in her favor. And not just hers.

Princess Selene had made the remark that she never saw her brother smile as frequently as of late, making the Crown Prince blush furiously, but without retaliating with a snarky remark. Baez' hot fling with General Magnus died down just as quickly, but somehow he didn't seemed very bothered. August got his geek on indulging in his love for nature and enjoying unlimited access to books, because as a fulltime bodyguard to Princess Selene he now spend most of his time in the library or garden.

Kai herself basked in the glowing admiration of Reese. She never had a female friend before and wondered why, because it was wonderful. Reese was smart and funny, knew all the ins and outs of the Palace and had a quick line to all the juicy gossip. She could also hold her own in almost any given situation, like fighting off suitors. What she lacked in physical strength she made up for with her sharp wit and quick tongue.

"Someone must have found out I turned sixteen in April", she sighed rolling her eyes.

"Meaning?" Kai frowned.

"Dating is allowed from the age of sixteen. It's seventeen for marriage", she added shyly. "The Queen is very involved with finding suitable matches and encourages servants to actively pursue someone they like."

Jin snorted at the word 'dating', but the mentioning of marriage made him growl.

"I don't like it", he rumbled.

"I've noticed before that you're very protective of Reese", Kai noted raising an eyebrow. "Any particular reason?"

After hesitating for a few seconds Jin relayed the situation in the cells leaving Kai stunned. Not only did her very seclusive wolf talk to this human girl, he actually gave her a name to call him.

"That's the story", he sighed, leaving the bloodied lip unmentioned.

Jin had observed the young woman closely over the past few weeks. His biggest fear that the bite might have triggered some deeper bond between them proved unfounded. She showed no sighs of advanced senses nor did her scent change.

"She's good people", Kai nodded. "I'm glad to have someone like her to call my friend."

Jin frowned by the lightness of her tone. 'Did Kai not notice how Reese looked at her?'

The smile on her face widened in equal measure to Kai's process of settling in. When Kai confirmed that she asked the King to stay after she turned seventeen the room lit up from Reese's bright expression. He also wasn't blind to the stolen glances the Royals had for August and Baez.

Jin mused on the matter. The question of them having a mate was always a touchy subject in the Wren household. Art would break down in tears most of the time and both Casper and Charlotte sided with Wren to not further discus matters they had no control over.

Although this was not his first incarnation, Jin had to admit that he could provide little intelligence concerning the mate situation. Neither he nor his wolf brethren had felt the presence of a mate, besides the Lissa debacle, and he wasn't sure that reaching the age of seventeen would change that.

He loved Kai. Accepting her as his human was one of the proudest moments of his existence. Her happiness was more important to him than anything else. He'd hate to leave his brothers, but for her he would. And with the way Reese looked at Kai he believed that she would be a great addition to their new life in Cho.